Timothy Taylor's classic Yorkshire bitter 'Boltmaker' has been named the best
beer at The Great British Beer Festival

A classic bitter has been named the best beer in Britain at an annual beer festival.

Timothy Taylor's Boltmaker, which is brewed in West Yorkshire, was named the Supreme Champion by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) at the Great British Beer Festival in London.

It triumphed over a huge range of tipples in seven different beer categories (Bitters, Best Bitters, Strong Bitters, Golden Ales, Milds, Winter Beers, and the Speciality class), including beers from both small microbreweries and larger brewers.

Timothy Taylor, which was founded in 1858, describes the beer as “A well-balanced, genuine Yorkshire bitter, with a full measure of maltiness and hoppy aroma”.

The brewery’s head brewer Peter Eells said: "We work very hard to produce great beers and we really believe this is the best beer we can brew, so to have it acknowledged in such an important competition is absolutely fantastic."

Boltmaker was originally called Best Bitter, and was first produced in the 1930s when Timothy Taylor's sales manager Jack Tillotson suggested making a beer that could compete with Barnsley Bitter, the most popular bitter in South Yorkshire at the time. The beer was renamed in 2012 after a competition to find a new moniker. The name was suggested by Phil Booth, landlord of the Boltmakers Arms in Keighley,